SE Texas Times

An anti-human trafficking operation in southeast Texas has led to the arrests of 21 men.

Beaumont Police and the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office partnered to perform the two-day operation that targeted what law enforcement officials called "sex buyers," according to Officer Carol Riley and KHOU.

Riley is both the law enforcement coordinator for Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers and a Public Information Officer for City of Beaumont Emergency Management.

KHOU noted that the 21 men arrested were accused of soliciting sexual relations with minors and adults. The men arrested reside in Texas or Louisiana.

"Human trafficking is modern day slavery – the exploitation of men, women and children for forced labor or sex by a third party for profit or gain," Riley said, KHOU reported. "A person doesn’t have to be transported across borders for trafficking to take place – it can occur anywhere."

Riley said in a news release that officials wanted to thank Collective Liberty and the McLennan County Sheriff's Office for assisting in the operation.

"Sex trafficking is fueled by the demand that these buyers provide," Riley said in the release. "Without men who are willing to purchase sex, traffickers and pimps would not exploit victims, many of who are children, and force them into a life of prostitution. The purpose of this operation was to reduce demand and deter people from buying sex."

Those arrested were Taha Khan, Gary Barnes, Robert George, Phillip Ray, Dr. Sadiq Ali, Jermaine Pattum, Omar Resendiz, Venkata Kishore Yadan Penneru, Jordan Mitchell, Brant Erwin, Devendra Sah, Oliver Fernando Rodriguez, Christopher Michael Herring, Quenton Alexander Pickens, Emiliano Alcala Beltran, Edward Jimenez, Joey Dewayne Hall, Bobby Wayne Armstrong, Ivan Banks, Steven McBroom and Dr. Rajen Bhulabhai Desai, according to the news release.

Riley asks citizens to fight against human trafficking by reporting anything suspicious to Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers.